Haley Stewart

California Program Associate

Haley supports Defenders’ California program efforts to protect and restore wildlife and the vital ecosystems in which they live. She works primarily on climate change adaptation, wetlands conservation and restoration, and California sea otter recovery.

Drift gillnets are known to snag an abundance of marine wildlife such as whales, dolphins, sea turtles, and seals, in addition to the intended fish catch. Once entangled in the nets, these animals cannot surface for air and often drown as a result. The number of deaths caused by drift gillnets is exacerbated by the long lengths of time the nets are left in the water as well as injuries these animals sustain during entanglement.